Chapter 006: This Fried Egg Is So Fresh!

In middle age, having reached a moderately well-off life and reciting Buddhist chants regularly, Zhou Huifang had become gentler and kinder, often doing good deeds in small ways.

Her lunchbox shop mainly served younger customers who paid by scanning codes. Older ones paid in cash—sometimes short by a yuan or two. Zhou Huifang would wave it off and say, “Just bring it next time if you can.”

Doing good made her feel good.

Earlier, she had noticed a little girl—probably nine or ten years old—who immediately caught her attention.

The girl looked clean, with calm, clever eyes. But what surprised Zhou Huifang was her clothing—two shoulder-length braids tied with red ribbons and plain homespun clothes: sleeves slightly short, pant legs a bit too long.

Xiaomei’s internal thought: (These were from Sister Qingqing—they’re still new.)

Nowadays, what girl dressed like that? She clearly came from the countryside or some faraway place.

Zhou Huifang couldn’t help feeling sympathetic.

The girl had been staring at the food, visibly swallowing. She must be hungry.

Zhou had just wanted to offer her a lunchbox, but the girl had walked away.

With business winding down and three workers prepping for dinner, Zhou looked up and saw the girl emerging from the market across the street, empty-handed, standing at the entrance. Clearly, she hadn’t eaten.

Zhou Huifang couldn’t resist calling out: “Little beauty!”

Xiaomei looked around, saw no cars, and quickly crossed to Zhou. “Auntie, you called me? How did you know my name?”

Zhou blinked. Did I?

Zhou Huifang: “Your name’s Little Beauty?”

Xiaomei: “Auntie, my name is Xiaomei.”

Zhou laughed. What a coincidence.

Her accent was clearly from the eastern side of Sucheng.

Zhou smiled and asked, “Sweetie, I saw you walking alone—where are your parents?”

Xiaomei pouted, her face wrinkling like a bun. “They’re at the hospital with Grandma.”

“Oh!” Zhou understood now. The kid was alone because her family was with a sick elder—not safe at all.

“Come on, sweetheart. Auntie has an extra lunchbox—can you help me eat it? Then head back to the hospital so your parents won’t worry.” She handed over two boxes—one with rice, one with side dishes.

Xiaomei opened it: a big piece of meat (actually pork chop), a fried egg, long beans, and salted edamame. Her eyes squinted happily.

“Auntie, thank you! You’re such a good person.” She bowed deeply.

Zhou beamed. “Come inside to eat.” She opened the side gate for her.

Xiaomei, starving, sat down and gobbled the food.

She ate the vegetables first, then the fried egg.

Wow—it was so fragrant, so fresh! She was delighted.

Zhou, watching, felt a pang in her heart.

After finishing the egg, Xiaomei stopped eating. She picked out the meat, placed it into the half-full box, closed the lid, and returned the empty one.

“Auntie, I’ve eaten. Can I take this with me?”

“For dinner at the hospital?” Zhou asked.

“No,” Xiaomei smiled shyly. “I want to give it to Grandma.”

Her uncle’s family had borrowed a lot for Grandma’s illness; Grandma hadn’t had meat in ages. Xiaomei wanted her to enjoy it now she’d just been discharged.

Zhou, eyes misty, stroked her head. “Eat up. I’ve got more meals left over—some customers didn’t come. If not eaten, they’ll spoil. Can you take some to your grandma and parents?”

She had an assistant pack three full sets of meals, putting three dish boxes and four rice boxes into two bags.

Then she took out ¥30 from the drawer. “Here, buy your grandma some fruit.” Before Xiaomei could respond, she tucked the money into her pocket, handed her the bags, and walked her to the overpass.

“Be careful. Don’t go wandering. Head straight to your grandma—don’t make your family worry.”

Xiaomei bowed deeply. “Thank you, Auntie. I’m going home now.”

Zhou didn’t notice the odd phrasing—going home instead of going back.

The bags were heavy, and Xiaomei walked slowly. When she reached the retirement center courtyard from earlier, it was quiet—the elderly folks had left.

She stood in front of the rose bush. Now what?

How had she gotten here again? Right… she had counted to three, and suddenly arrived.

Would counting take her back?

She closed her eyes and said, “1, 2, 3…”

Opened her eyes—still there.

Panic rising. Calm down. Think…

Reverse it? “3, 2, 1…”

Still no change.

Tears welled up. “Wuwuwu… I wanna go back!”

And bam, she reappeared in her own backyard—staring at the rose bush.

Oh thank heavens, Amitabha! She’d made it!

Xiaomei tested it again: said “123” softly, landed in the courtyard—“I want to go home”—and poof, back again.

She was relieved, happily carrying the food bags to the front courtyard.

It was around 4 p.m. Her grandma was taking down laundry. Seeing her with bags, she asked, “Where’d you get that? Are your parents back? Still at Grandma’s? How’s she looking? I’ll visit tonight.”

Hearing all that, Xiaomei sobered up.

Right… how was she supposed to explain this strange thing?

Saying the food came from her parents wouldn’t hold—sooner or later it’d be exposed.

And the other side was so nice, with so much food… everyone looked wealthy. Xiaomei planned to go again.

No way to hide this forever, especially from Grandma who was always home.

She’d have to let Grandma in on it—ask her to help keep it a secret.

Decision made.

Xiaomei, always fast to act, dropped the bags and dragged Grandma to the backyard.

And just like that, Grandma Wang saw her granddaughter disappear and reappear in broad daylight.

She was so shocked, she fell to the ground.

Xiaomei giggled and tried to take her over too—but it didn’t work.

She was disappointed.

Grandma, finally calming down, returned to the main hall, sat down, and asked, “What’s going on?”

So Xiaomei recounted the rose bush, the trip, the encounter.

She opened the lunchboxes: “That auntie gave all this food! It’s glutinous rice, not indica—so tasty! So much meat! Look—pepper fried pork tripe, chestnut pork, fried pork… smells amazing!”

She took out the money: “She gave this to buy fruit for Grandma. Here, you keep it.”

Grandma Wang examined the money: “Is this real? Looks different from ours. You sure you didn’t get tricked?”

Xiaomei widened her eyes: “Of course it’s real! I saw them use it to buy food. Look—there’s his portrait on it.”